Matthew Hayden says he intends to bat on as retirement announcements
sweep through the all-conquering Australian team.
The 35-year-old opening batsman, playing in his 88th Test, claimed his
27th Test century to join Allan Border as Australia's fourth-highest
century-maker as the Australians turned the screws on hapless England
in the fourth Ashes Test here Wednesday.
It was Hayden's first century of the series and continued his fondness
for the Melbourne Cricket Ground, scoring his fifth century in his last
six Tests at the famous ground.
Only current captain Ricky Ponting (33), Steve Waugh (32) and Don
Bradman (29) have scored more Test centuries than Hayden in Australian
cricket.
Hayden extravagantly raised his bat to acknowledge the ovation he
received from the 75,770 crowd as he left the arena, giving rise to
suggestions that he may be considering following team-mates Shane
Warne, Glenn McGrath and Damien Martyn into Test cricket retirement.
But he scotched the speculation after the second day's play where he
scored 153 in seven hours off 265 balls with 13 boundaries and two
sixes.
"Runs are the only value in terms of currency, so I have to be on my
game all the time," Hayden said. "You are always getting pressed from
behind, it's an important part of Australian cricket. But I love my
cricket, I love playing with these blokes and to me
I'm just not ready to let it go just yet."
Hayden said he revelled playing on the big stage in matches like the
Boxing Day Test, where more than 164,000 fans have thronged to the
opening two days at the vast MCG. "It's an incredible ground. The
ultimate for a Test cricketer is to play before big crowds and this is
exactly why we come here so excited about this venue as being the
highlight of the Test calendar year and today was no different," he
said. "I like the occasion, it's just so awesome to play in front of
big crowds in Test match cricket."
Hayden said a highlight for him had been helping his great mate Andrew
Symonds reach his maiden Test century to put England firmly on the
ropes in the fourth Test.
"I've rejoiced in Andrew's achievement. A first Test hundred is an
incredibly special moment and just being a part of it was one of the
highlights of my Test career," he said. "From fishing and hunting to
camping together to Test match hundreds in Melbourne's 100th Test
match. It was an incredible day."